Improvement in military accouterm ents



e; H. PALMER. Military Aoooutrements'.

No. 202.663. Patented April 23,1878.

N PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTUM'Q C.

UNITEDSTATES;

PATENT QEEIGE.

" GEORGE E. PA MER, ojE MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MILIETARY ACCOUTERMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,663, dated April 23, 1878; application filed September 13, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. PALMER, of Monmouth, in the county of Warren State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carrying-Braces and Shoulder-Straps, of which the following is a specification:

tachin g the blanket-straps to the braces; my

object in the present invention being to simplify the before-mentioned carrying-braces and shoulder-straps by using one wide shoulder-strap, with a slit along its middle, instead of two or double shoulder straps, in connection with the. back-pad; by dispensing with one of the rings or dees on the front ends of the double shoulder-straps; by detachably attaching the blanket-straps to the back-pad in such a manner as to prevent them slipping down when the blanket is carried, and to enable the blanket to be carried as high up on the back as is desired; by attaching loops to the straps supporting the rear corners of the bags or pouches, through which loops the blanket-straps pass for the purpose of holding the blanket or pack more firmly in place;

and, finally, by attaching a ring, movable on its fastening, to the back-pad, by which small articles of the equipment, such as cup or intrenching-tools may be carried, and by which the equipment may be hung up when not in use.

Figure 1 is a view of the carrying-braces, with bags for knapsack and haversaok attached, alsoshowing the manner of attaching to the braces the waist-belt, cartridge-boxes, and blanket-straps. Fig. 2 is a view of the shoulder'strap, having a slit along its middle, designed to take the place on the back-pad of and v the double shoulder-strap heretofore used in this equipment.

Fig.1: Ais the back-pad, which is made wider at the top than at the bottom, to enable the shoulder-straps to be placed wider apart, so as not to compress the neck of the wearer. The back-pad heretofore was made wider at the bottom than at the top, to enable double shoulder-straps to be more advantageously attached. B B are the shoulderstraps, having slits O C out along their middle. D are knots riveted to the blanket-straps E E, to prevent said blanket-straps from slipping farther down than the loops G Gr, riveted to the back-pad to support the blanketstraps, will permit. The knots D, in connection with loops G G, enable the blanket or' pack to be carried as high on the back as desired. F F are loops attached to the straps M, through which loops the blanket-straps pass to hold the blanket more firmly in place when the wearer moves at a run. I I are bags used for knapsack and haversack. They are carried at the sides and rear of the body. The front corners are supported by straps N N, which pass from the front ends of the shoulder-straps down and back under the arms to the front corners of the bags. The rear corners of the bags are supported by straps M, which are riveted to the lower edge of the back-pad. J is the waist-belt, on which are slung cartridge-boxes K. L is a ring riveted to the back-pad, so as to move around its fastening, on which ring articles may be carried, and by which the equipment is hung up when not in use. 0 O are the straps attached to the front ends of the shoulder-straps, for supporting the waist-belt and articles slung thereon. P P are rings riveted to the front ends of the shoulder-straps, for supporting in front of the body a portion of the load to be carried.

Fig. 2: B is the singleshoulder-strap. It is attached by a rivet to the upper corner of the back-pad, so as to turn on its fastening, to enable it to be adjusted to suit the width of shoulders and back. It is made about three (3) inches wide at the rear end, and is tapered down to about two (2) inches at the front end. A slit, 0, about one-half g) inch or more wide, is out along the middle for about three-fourths ,is to enable the shoulder-strap to adjust itself to fit the shape of the shoulder, to enable the I weight of the load carried to be spread over a larger surface of the shoulder by spreading the strap apart. It has atendency to prevent the wide strap from pinching or pressing the arms, as, when the arms or shoulders are brought toward each other, the two sides of the slit are brought together, thus giving more play to the arms; and for the same reasons the slits permit a wider shoulder-strap to be used than could be conveniently employed without the slit. The slit also renders the shoulder-strap more comfortable in hot weather, by permitting the air to reach the shoulder more than a wide strap without a slit would do.

I do not claim as new the combination of a :back-pad and double shoulder-straps, nor the combination of straps M with back-pad, nor the combination of bags I l, straps M, and straps N N with back-pad A and double shoulder-straps.

I claim as new and as my invention- 1. The single shoulder-straps B B, having slits O C, in combination with the back-pad A, substantially as specified, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of single shoulder-straps B B, having slits G G, back-pad A, bags I I, and waist-belt J, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of blanket-straps E E, having knots D, back-pad A, loops FF, and straps M, substantially as specified, and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE H. PALMER.

Witnesses:

. H. H. BELLAS,

O. R. TYLER. 

